Australia to donate navy boats to Sri Lanka in people smuggling deal

Tony Abbott finalised the deal with Sri Lank's Mahinda Rajapaksa while in Colombo.

AFP: Roberto Schmidt

Australia and Sri Lanka will expand the cooperation between their navies in an attempt to crack down on people smuggling, with the Federal Government to give two patrol boats to Sri Lanka.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who is in Sri Lanka for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), finalised the deal with president Mahinda Rajapakse on Saturday as part of diplomatic talks.

Australia will donate two navy ships to Sri Lanka as part of the agreement, which aims to promote enhanced collaboration on people smuggling.

Yesterday's meeting with Sri Lanka's president came after Mr Abbott downplayed concerns the Sri Lankan government may have engaged in war crimes at the end of the country's ethnic war, and talked up the country's economic potential.

That was in contrast to British prime minister David Cameron, who said he was determined to shine an international spotlight on Sri Lanka's human rights issues during CHOGM.

Greens critical of gift, Labor welcomes further cooperation

The Greens have criticised the new deal with Sri Lanka, with party leader Christine Milne saying Australia should not collaborate with the country because of its human rights record.

"In order to sure up Tony Abbott's cruel and hollow policy to stop the boats he is resorting to collaboration with Sri Lanka and will turn a blind eye to human rights abuses," she said in a statement.

"This has nothing to do with fairness, justice or saving lives.

"Any resources provided to Sri Lanka would be better spent in leading a genuine regional solution that cares for refugees by bringing more of them to Australia and by pushing for global action to investigate alleged war crimes."

Opposition frontbencher Tony Burke says he wants to see details of the agreement.

Fairfax media reported the arrest of Lieutenant Commander Sanjeewa Annatugoda, who was once an adviser to Australia on how to stop human trafficking.

Sri Lanka rejects calls for international inquiry

Mr Cameron has said he would push for an international investigation through the UN human rights council unless the Sri Lankan government acts by March to credibly address claims of abuses at the end of the war.

The Rajapakse regime is carrying out its own more limited investigation, but has consistently denied any civilians were killed in the last stages of the war when government troops routed Tamil Tiger rebels in their last stronghold.

However, the UN and rights groups have said as many as 40,000 civilians may have been killed in the onslaught.

Bloody history, uncertain future

"Why should we have an international inquiry? We will object to it... Definitely, we are not going to allow it," said Basil Rajapakse, Sri Lanka's economic development minister and brother to the president.

"It is not new, it is not the first time they are saying it," he said of the pressure for an international inquiry.

Asked about the March deadline for the Sri Lankans to complete their own inquiry, the minister rejected any talk of a timetable being imposed from outside.

"They can't give dates. It is not fair. Even Cameron has said we need time. Even in Northern Ireland it took a lot of time," Basil Rajapakse said.

"We understand some of the things he said were aimed at his home constituency. He was addressing the journalists who travelled with him."

The prime ministers of Canada, India and Mauritius all stayed away from Colombo over Sri Lanka's human rights record.